Made for Love: Hinge Introduces a More Intentional Way to Find Love in India
Hinge introduces Face Check, Screenshot Protection, and a phased waitlist in India to foster safer, more meaningful connections for singles.
Dating in India is undergoing a significant transformation as singles seek more meaningful and secure ways to connect. In a major move to cater to these evolving needs, Hinge, the dating app famously "designed to be deleted," has announced a suite of new features specifically tailored for the Indian market. These updates aim to provide users with greater clarity, confidence, and agency in their search for love.
A Phased Approach to Meaningful Connections
To ensure a high-quality and thoughtful community, Hinge is introducing a phased waitlist for new members in India. Instead of immediate access, new users will enter a waitlist after creating their profiles. This period is designed to encourage users to invest time in building complete, authentic profiles through photos and personalized prompts.
By the time users move from the waitlist to active matching, they enter the community ready to make a genuine first impression. This approach ensures that the platform remains focused on intention rather than mindless swiping.
Prioritising Safety and Trust
Recognising that privacy and safety are paramount—particularly for women—Hinge is rolling out several key features to foster a secure environment:
- Face Check: A verification tool that helps confirm the identity of the person behind an account, ensuring authenticity.
- Screenshot Protection: To safeguard privacy, the app will block screenshots on profiles within the Discover, Likes You, and Standouts sections. However, users can still take screenshots within conversations to report concerns.
- Block List: Available during onboarding, this feature allows users to proactively prevent ex-partners, colleagues, or family members from seeing their profile.
"Love is deeply personal," says Hinge CEO
Discussing the launch, Jackie Jantos, Hinge’s Chief Executive Officer, emphasized the importance of listening to local users. "Love is deeply personal to each individual, and there is no singular path to finding it. At Hinge, we want to listen and learn from singles in India, so that we can adapt our app to meet their needs," she stated.
Enhanced Control Through 'Signals'
Beyond safety, Hinge is introducing tools to reward quality interactions. A new feature called Signals acts as a profile badge, identifying daters who consistently show up with care and effort. This category-first feature helps users identify potential partners who are serious about building real connections. Users maintain full control over their experience, with the ability to choose whether their Signals badge is visible in their settings.
As Ben Celebicic, Hinge’s Chief Product & Technology Officer, noted, the goal is to create an experience where users feel comfortable expressing themselves. "In India, we’ve designed Hinge around what helps daters feel comfortable signing up, expressing themselves and giving each other their full attention," he said.